Cambridge, MA

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Population

110,893

1.96% growth

Median Age

30.4


Median Household Income

$89,145

7.25% growth

Poverty Rate

13.5%


Number of Employees

65,165

2.56% growth

Median Property Value

$670,200

6.43% growth

About

Economy

Health

Diversity

Education

Housing & Living

About

In 2017, Cambridge, MA had a population of 111k people with a median age of 30.4 and a median household income of $89,145. Between 2016 and 2017 the population of Cambridge, MA grew from 108,757 to 110,893, a 1.96% increase and its median household income grew from $83,122 to $89,145, a 7.25% increase.

The population of Cambridge, MA is 61.6% White Alone, 15.7% Asian Alone, and 10% Black or African American Alone. N/A% of the people in Cambridge, MA speak a non-English language, and 82.1% are U.S. citizens.

The largest universities in Cambridge, MA are Harvard University (8,797 degrees awarded in 2017), Massachusetts Institute of Technology (3,710 degrees), and Lesley University (1,447 degrees).

The median property value in Cambridge, MA is $670,200, and the homeownership rate is 36.2%. Most people in Cambridge, MA commute by Public Transit, and the average commute time is 23.7 minutes. The average car ownership in Cambridge, MA is 1 car per household.

Photo by Almond Butterscotch

United StatesMassachusettsMiddlesex County, MABoston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NHCambridge City PUMA, MASomerville & Everett Cities PUMA, MA

Economy

The economy of Cambridge, MA employs 65.2k people. The largest industries in Cambridge, MA are Educational Services (18,513 people), Professional, Scientific, & Technical Services (12,835 people), and Health Care & Social Assistance (8,173 people), and the highest paying industries are Mining, Quarrying, & Oil & Gas Extraction ($100,368), Utilities ($98,333), and Finance & Insurance ($83,196).

Median household income in Cambridge, MA is $89,145. Males in Cambridge, MA have an average income that is 1.34 times higher than the average income of females, which is $62,850. The income inequality in Cambridge, MA (measured using the Gini index) is 0.485, which is higher than than the national average.

Wages

Median Household Income

$89,145

2017 value

± $3,825

7.25%

1 Year Growth

± 5.54%

Households in Cambridge, MA have a median annual income of $89,145, which is more than the median annual income of $61,937 across the entire United States. This is in comparison to a median income of $83,122 in 2016, which represents a 7.25% annual growth.

Look at the chart to see how the median household income in Cambridge, MA compares to that of it's neighboring and parent geographies.

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Wage by Gender in Common Jobs

The PUMS dataset is not available at the Place level, so we are showing data for Massachusetts.

$84,043

Average Male Salary

± $1,786

$62,850

Average Female Salary

± $1,306

In 2017, full-time male employees in Massachusetts made 1.34 times more than female employees.

This chart shows the gender-based wage disparity in the 5 most common occupations in Massachusetts by number of full-time employees.

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Wage by Race and Ethnicity in Common Jobs

The PUMS dataset is not available at the Place level, so we are showing data for Massachusetts.

Highest Average Salaries by Race & Ethnicity

  1. Asian

    $68,516 ± $4,051

  2. White

    $64,668 ± $1,113

  3. Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islander

    $49,586 ± $39,015

In 2017 the highest paid race/ethnicity of Massachusetts workers was Asian. These workers were paid 1.06 times more than White workers, who made the second highest salary of any race/ethnicity.

This chart shows the race- and ethnicity-based wage disparities in the 5 most common occupations in Massachusetts by number of full-time employees.

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Wage Distribution

The closest comparable wage GINI for Cambridge, MA is from Massachusetts.

0.485

2017 Wage GINI

0.485

2016 Wage GINI

In 2017, the income inequality in Massachusetts was 0.485 according to the GINI calculation of the wage distribution. Income inequality had a 0.0457% growth from 2016 to 2017, which means that wage distribution grew somewhat less even.

The 2017 the GINI for Massachusetts was higher than than the national average of 0.479. In other words, wages are distributed less evenly in Massachusetts in comparison to the national average.

This chart shows the number of workers in Massachusetts across various wage buckets compared to the national average.

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Income by Location

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Highest Median Household Income (Total)

  1. Census Tract 3542

  2. Census Tract 3544

  3. Census Tract 3548

In 2017, the place with the highest Median Household Income (Total) in Cambridge, MA was Census Tract 3542 with a value of $158,417, followed by Census Tract 3544 and Census Tract 3548, with respective values of $143,750 and $124,083.

The following map shows all of the places in Cambridge, MA colored by their Median Household Income (Total).

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Poverty by Age and Gender

Females 25 - 34

Largest Demographic Living in Poverty

13.5% of the population for whom poverty status is determined in Cambridge, MA (12.7k out of 94.3k people) live below the poverty line, a number that is higher than the national average of 13.1%. The largest demographic living in poverty are Females 25 - 34, followed by Males 25 - 34 and then Females 18 - 24.

The Census Bureau uses a set of money income thresholds that vary by family size and composition to determine who classifies as impoverished. If a family's total income is less than the family's threshold than that family and every individual in it is considered to be living in poverty.

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Poverty by Race and Ethnicity

Largest Race or Ethnicity Living in Poverty

  1. White

    6,542 ± 660

  2. Black

    2,710 ± 421

  3. Asian

    2,523 ± 411

The most common racial or ethnic group living below the poverty line in Cambridge, MA is White, followed by Black and Asian.

The Census Bureau uses a set of money income thresholds that vary by family size and composition to determine who classifies as impoverished. If a family's total income is less than the family's threshold than that family and every individual in it is considered to be living in poverty.

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Occupations

Employment by Occupations

65.2k

2017 Value

± 1,564

2.56%

1 Year growth

± 3.32%

From 2016 to 2017, employment in Cambridge, MA grew at a rate of 2.56%, from 63.5k employees to 65.2k employees.

The most common job groups, by number of people living in Cambridge, MA, are Education Instruction, & Library Occupations (10,338 people), Management Occupations (8,589 people), and Life, Physical, & Social Science Occupations (6,240 people). This chart illustrates the share breakdown of the primary jobs held by residents of Cambridge, MA.

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Most Common

The most common jobs held by residents of Cambridge, MA, by number of employees, are Education Instruction, & Library Occupations (10,338 people), Management Occupations (8,589 people), and Life, Physical, & Social Science Occupations (6,240 people).

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Most Specialized

Compared to other places, Cambridge, MA has an unusually high number of residents working as Life, Physical, & Social Science Occupations (10.8 times higher than expected), Computer & Mathematical Occupations (2.79 times), and Education Instruction, & Library Occupations (2.62 times).

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Highest Paid

The highest paid jobs held by residents of Cambridge, MA, by median earnings, are Legal Occupations ($118,214), Management Occupations ($83,732), and Architecture & Engineering Occupations ($83,556).

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Industries

Employment by Industries

65.2k

2017 Value

± 1,564

2.56%

1 Year growth

± 3.32%

From 2016 to 2017, employment in Cambridge, MA grew at a rate of 2.56%, from 63.5k employees to 65.2k employees.

The most common employment sectors for those who live in Cambridge, MA, are Educational Services (18,513 people), Professional, Scientific, & Technical Services (12,835 people), and Health Care & Social Assistance (8,173 people). This chart shows the share breakdown of the primary industries for residents of Cambridge, MA, though some of these residents may live in Cambridge, MA and work somewhere else. Census data is tagged to a residential address, not a work address.

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Most Common

The most common industries in Cambridge, MA, by number of employees, are Educational Services (18,513 people), Professional, Scientific, & Technical Services (12,835 people), and Health Care & Social Assistance (8,173 people).

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Most Specialized

Compared to other places, Cambridge, MA has an unusually high number of Educational Services (3.07 times higher than expected), Professional, Scientific, & Technical Services (2.81 times), and Information (1.6 times) industries.

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Highest Paying

The highest paying industries in Cambridge, MA, by median earnings, are Mining, Quarrying, & Oil & Gas Extraction ($100,368), Utilities ($98,333), and Finance & Insurance ($83,196).

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Domestic Trade

Domestic Production & Consumption

Domestic production and consumption consists of products and services shipped from Massachusetts to other states, or from other states to Massachusetts.

Top Domestic Production in Dollars

  1. Gasoline

    $30.9B

  2. Mixed freight

    $29.2B

  3. Electronics

    $27.7B

In 2015, the top outbound Massachusetts product (by dollars) was Gasoline with $30.9B, followed by Mixed freight ($29.2B) and Electronics ($27.7B).

The following chart shows the share of these products in relation to all outbound Massachusetts products.

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Domestic Trade Growth

Showing data for Massachusetts state.

$260B

2020 Value

$364B

Projected 2045 Value

40% growth

In 2020, total outbound Massachusetts trade was $260B. This is expected to increase 40% to $364B by 2045.

The following chart shows how the domestic outbound Massachusetts trade is projected to change in comparison to its neighboring states.

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Interstate Trade

Interstate trade consists of products and services shipped from Massachusetts to other states, or from other states to Massachusetts.

Most Common Trade Partners

  1. New York

    $14.6B

  2. Connecticut

    $13.9B

  3. New Hampshire

    $13.9B

In 2015, the top outbound Massachusetts domestic partner for goods and services (by dollars) was New York with $14.6B, followed by Connecticut with $13.9B and New Hampshire and $13.9B.

The following map shows the amount of trade that Massachusetts shares with each state (excluding itself).

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Health

97.7% of the population of Cambridge, MA has health coverage, with 63.5% on employee plans, 10.2% on Medicaid, 7.86% on Medicare, 15.8% on non-group plans, and 0.352% on military or VA plans.

Per capita personal health care spending in the place of Cambridge, MA was $10,559 in 2014. This is a 2.78% increase from the previous year ($10,273).

Primary care physicians in Cambridge, MA see 788 patients per year on average, which represents a 0.51% increase from the previous year (784 patients). Compare this to dentists who see 1052 patients per year, and mental health providers who see 202 patients per year.

Comparing across all counties in the state, Bristol County has the highest prevalence of diabetes (11.4%). Additionally, Bristol County has the highest prevalence of adult obesity (29.1%)

Patient to Clinician Ratios

Data is only available at the state level. Showing data for Middlesex County, MA.

788 to 1

Patient to Primary Care Physician Ratio

Primary care physicians in Middlesex County, MA see an average of 788 patients per year. This represents a 0.51% increase from the previous year (784 patients).

The following chart shows how the number of patients seen by primary care physicians has been changing over time in Middlesex County, MA in comparison to neighboring states.

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Behavioral Health Conditions

Data only available at the state level.

State with the Highest Prevalence

  1. West Virginia

    8.26% of the population affected

  2. Arkansas

    8.13% of the population affected

  3. New Hampshire

    7.98% of the population affected

In 2016, West Virginia had the highest prevalence of adults with major depressive episode, with 8.26% of the population affected. The second highest is Arkansas (8.13%), followed by New Hampshire (7.98%).

The following map shows the percent of individuals with major depressive episode by state over multiple years.

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Access and Quality

Data only available at state level.

Most prevalent states

  1. Mississippi

    19.2% of adults

  2. Texas

    17.9% of adults

  3. Louisiana

    17.6% of adults

In 2016, Mississippi had the highest prevalence of adults who haven't seen a doctor in the past 12 months due to cost, at 19.2%. It is followed by Texas (17.9%) and Louisiana (17.6%).

The following map shows the prevalence of adults who haven't seen a doctor in the past 12 months due to cost by state over multiple years.

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Health Care Spending

Data is only available at the state level. Showing data for Massachusetts.

$10,559

Total Per Capita Spending on Personal Health Care 

$5,302

Per Enrollee Private Health Insurance Spending on Personal Health Care

$8,922

Per Enrollee Medicaid Spending on Personal Health Care

$11,899

Per Enrollee Medicare Spending on Personal Health Care

Between 2013 and 2014, all personal health care spending per capita in Massachusetts (including private, Medicare, and Medicaid) grew 2.78%, from $10,273 to $10,559.

The following chart shows how this spending changed over time in comparison to Medicaid, Medicare, and private insurance spending, per enrollee.

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Health Care Coverage

2.32%

Uninsured

63.5%

Employer Coverage

10.2%

Medicaid

7.86%

Medicare

15.8%

Non-Group

0.352%

Military or VA

Between 2016 and 2017, the percent of uninsured citizens in Cambridge, MA declined by 11.5% from 2.62% to 2.32%.

The following chart shows how the percent of uninsured individuals in Cambridge, MA changed over time compared with the percent of individuals enrolled in various types of health insurance.

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Health Risks

Data available at the county level.

Most at risk counties

  1. Bristol County

    11.4% prevalence

  2. Hampden County

    11.1% prevalence

  3. Plymouth County

    10.8% prevalence

Bristol County has the highest prevalence of diabetes in Massachusetts, at 11.4%.

The following map shows the prevalence of diabetes in Massachusetts by county over multiple years.

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Diversity

Cambridge, MA is home to a population of 111k people, from which 82.1% are citizens. As of 2017, 28.3% of Cambridge, MA residents were born outside of the country (31.4k people).

The ethnic composition of the population of Cambridge, MA is composed of 68.3k White Alone residents (61.6%), 17.4k Asian Alone residents (15.7%), 11.1k Black or African American Alone residents (10%), 9.71k Hispanic or Latino residents (8.75%), 3.78k Two or More Races residents (3.41%), 373 Some Other Race Alone residents (0.336%), 165 American Indian & Alaska Native Alone residents (0.149%), and 31 Native Hawaiian & Other Pacific Islander Alone residents (0.028%).

Age

Age by Nativity

29

Median Native-Born Age

± 0.4

33

Median Foreign-Born Age

± 0.6

In 2017, the median age of all people in Cambridge, MA was 30.4. Native-born citizens, with a median age of 29, were generally younger than than foreign-born citizens, with a median age of 33. But people in Cambridge, MA are getting getting younger. In 2016, the average age of all Cambridge, MA residents was 31.

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Heritage

Foreign-Born Population

28.3%

2017 Foreign-Born Population

31.4k people

27.5%

2016 Foreign-Born Population

30k people

As of 2017, 28.3% of Cambridge, MA residents (31.4k people) were born outside of the United States, which is higher than the national average of 13.7%. In 2016, the percentage of foreign-born citizens in Cambridge, MA was 27.5%, meaning that the rate has been increasing.

The following chart shows the percentage of foreign-born residents in Cambridge, MA compared to that of it's neighboring and parent geographies.

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Global Diversity

The PUMS dataset is not available at the Place level, so we are showing data for Massachusetts.

Most Common Origin

  1. China

    88,014 ± 7,236 people

  2. Dominican Republic

    84,884 ± 7,108 people

  3. Brazil

    66,506 ± 6,300 people

In 2017, the most common birthplace for the foreign-born residents of Massachusetts was China, the natal country of 88,014 Massachusetts residents, followed by Dominican Republic with 84,884 and Brazil with 66,506.

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Citizenship

82.1%

2017 Citizenship

82.8%

2016 Citizenship

As of 2017, 82.1% of Cambridge, MA residents were US citizens, which is lower than the national average of 93.2%. In 2016, the percentage of US citizens in Cambridge, MA was 82.8%, meaning that the rate of citizenship has been decreasing.

The following chart shows US citizenship percentages in Cambridge, MA compared to that of it's neighboring and parent geographies.

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Race and Ethnicity

Most Common

  1. White Alone

    68.3k ± 1.21k

  2. Asian Alone

    17.4k ± 982

  3. Black or African American Alone

    11.1k ± 928

In 2017, there were 3.93 times more White Alone residents (68.3k people) in Cambridge, MA than any other race or ethnicity. There were 17.4k Asian Alone and 11.1k Black or African American Alone residents, the second and third most common racial or ethnic groups.

The following bar chart shows the 8 races and ethnicities represented in Cambridge, MA as a share of the total population.

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Military

Veterans

Most Common Service Period

  1. Vietnam

    574 ± 130

  2. Gulf War (2001-)

    347 ± 100

  3. Korea

    246 ± 77

Cambridge, MA has a large population of military personnel who served in Vietnam, 1.65 times greater than any other conflict.

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Education

In 2017, universities in Cambridge, MA awarded 15,420 degrees. The student population of Cambridge, MA is skewed towards men, with 25,422 male students and 24,911 female students.

Most students graduating from Universities in Cambridge, MA are White (5,973 and 54%), followed by Asian (2,029 and 18.4%), Hispanic or Latino (1,212 and 11%), and Black or African American (728 and 6.59%).

The largest universities in Cambridge, MA by number of degrees awarded are Harvard University (8,797 and 57%), Massachusetts Institute of Technology (3,710 and 24.1%), and Lesley University (1,447 and 9.38%).

The most popular majors in Cambridge, MA are General Business Administration & Management (1,504 and 9.75%), Computer Science (844 and 5.47%), and General Education (790 and 5.12%).

The median tuition costs in Cambridge, MA are $39,800 for private four year colleges, and $N/A and $N/A respectively, for public four year colleges for in-state students and out-of-state students.

Concentrations

Most Common

  1. General Business Administration & Management

    1,455 degrees awarded

  2. General Education

    703 degrees awarded

  3. General Business

    674 degrees awarded

In 2015, the most common concentation for Masters Degree recipients in Cambridge, MA was General Business Administration & Management with 1,455 degrees awarded.

This visualization illustrates the percentage of students graduating with a Masters Degree from schools in Cambridge, MA according to their major.

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Universities

Largest Universities by degrees awarded

  1. Harvard University

    8,797 degrees awarded

  2. Massachusetts Institute of Technology

    3,710 degrees awarded

  3. Lesley University

    1,447 degrees awarded

$N/A

Median In-State Public

$39,800

Median Private

In 2017, the Cambridge, MA institution with the largest number of graduating students was Harvard University with 8,797 degrees awarded.

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Student Gender for Common Institutions

7,749

Degrees Awarded to Men

7,671

Degrees Awarded to Women

In 2017, 7,749 men were awarded degrees from institutions in Cambridge, MA, which is 1.01 times more than the 7,671 female students who received degrees in the same year.

This chart displays the gender disparity between the top 5 institutions in Cambridge, MA by degrees awarded.

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Student Race and Ethnicity

Most Common Student Race or Ethnicity

  1. White

    5,973 degrees awarded

  2. Asian

    2,029 degrees awarded

  3. Hispanic or Latino

    1,212 degrees awarded

In 2017 the majority of degrees awarded at institutions in Cambridge, MA were to White students. These 5,973 degrees mean that there were 2.94 times more White students then the next closest race/ethnicity group, Asian, with 2,029 degrees awarded.

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Housing & Living

The median property value in Cambridge, MA was $670,200 in 2017, which is 2.92 times larger than the national average of $229,700. Between 2016 and 2017 the median property value increased from $629,700 to $670,200, a 6.43% increase. The homeownership rate in Cambridge, MA is 36.2%, which is lower than the national average of 63.9%. People in Cambridge, MA have an average commute time of 23.7 minutes, and they commute by Public Transit. Car ownership in Cambridge, MA is lower than the national average, with an average of 1 car per household.

Housing

Property Value

$670,200

2017 Median

± $13,803

$629,700

2016 Median

± $13,961

In 2017, the median property value in Cambridge, MA grew to to $670,200 from the previous year's value of $629,700.

The following charts display, first, the property values in Cambridge, MA compared to it's parent and neighbor geographies and, second, owner-occupied housing units distributed between a series of property value buckets compared to the national averages for each bucket. In Cambridge, MA the largest share of households have a property value in the $500k - $750k range.

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Household Income

Please note that the buckets used in this visualization were not evenly distributed by ACS when publishing the data.

$89,145

Median Household Income

± $3,825

44.2k

Number of Households

± 1,235

In 2017, the median household income of the 44.2k households in Cambridge, MA grew to $89,145 from the previous year's value of $83,122.

The following chart displays the households in Cambridge, MA distributed between a series of income buckets compared to the national averages for each bucket. The largest share of households have an income in the $200k+ range.

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Property Taxes

$3k+

Average Range

This chart shows the households in Cambridge, MA distributed between a series of property tax buckets compared to the national averages for each bucket. In Cambridge, MA the largest share of households pay taxes in the $3k+ range.

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Rent vs Own

36.2%

2017 Homeownership

36.9%

2016 Homeownership

In 2017, 36.2% of the housing units in Cambridge, MA were occupied by their owner. This percentage declined from the previous year's rate of 36.9%.

This percentage of owner-occupation is lower than the national average of 63.9%. This chart shows the ownership percentage in Cambridge, MA compared it's parent and neighboring geographies.

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Commute Time

23.7 minutes

Average Travel Time

Using averages, employees in Cambridge, MA have a shorter commute time (23.7 minutes) than the normal US worker (25.1 minutes). Additionally, 0.991% of the workforce in Cambridge, MA have "super commutes" in excess of 90 minutes.

The chart below shows how the median household income in Cambridge, MA compares to that of it's neighboring and parent geographies.

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Commuter Transportation

Most Common Method of Travel

  1. Public Transit

    29.8%

  2. Drove Alone

    27.8%

  3. Walked

    24.1%

In 2017, the most common method of travel for workers in Cambridge, MA was Public Transit (29.8%), followed by those who Drove Alone (27.8%) and those who Walked (24.1%).

The following chart shows the number of households using each mode of transportation over time, using a logarithmic scale on the y-axis to help better show variations in the smaller means of commuting.

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Transportation

Car Ownership

1 car

Average Number

The following chart displays the households in Cambridge, MA distributed between a series of car ownership buckets compared to the national averages for each bucket. The largest share of households in Cambridge, MA have 1 car, followed by 0 cars.

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